This has been a challenging summer for those who have been affected by the bushfires; the toll it has taken on our rural and regional communities and of course the toll on our exhausted but dedicated fire fighters.

We extend our warm, genuine thanks to the firefighters from interstate and New Zealand who arrived to lend a hand, along with the volunteer fire fighters and emergency personnel supporting their efforts.

We remain vigilant as whilst conditions have eased, we are being warned to expect continued dry conditions through February with a return to high temperatures.

My best wishes to you and please keep safe. 

Further information on bushfire assistance

Information at www.facebook.com/tasrecovery  www.twitter.com/tasrecovery  www.tasalert.com/recovery

Although applications for Emergency Assistance Grants for bushfire-affected Tasmanians were open until the final Evacuation Centre closed at 5pm Friday 8 February, given the nature of the emergency and subsequent displacement of residents, applications continue to be processed for eligible Tasmanians who have not yet applied. The EAG applications will continue to be assessed until 5pm Friday 1 March 2019 on a case by case basis.

If you believe you should have received the grant but have not yet applied please call 1800 567 567 during business hours.

Further, the Tasmanian Government has announced new grant programs to support local businesses affected by bushfires. Small businesses in the affected areas can now apply for Bushfire Small Business Disruption Grants of up to $2,000 where they have experienced a significant disruption due to the recent bushfires.

To assist with longer-term recovery, Bushfire Business Recovery Grants of up to $25,000 each will soon be available for small to medium sized enterprises. We will also shortly establish a Concessional Business Recovery Loan Scheme to assist businesses to re-establish after being directly impacted by the bushfires.

Up to $100,000 each will be available to small business owners or farm businesses on an unsecured basis over a maximum term of five years. While the firefighting effort remains ongoing, the recovery effort for affected communities is well and truly underway.

Guidelines and application information are available at www.business.tas.gov.au. Businesses requiring further advice or assistance can also contact Business Tasmania on 1800 440 026.

  Guy Barnett